Lizardracing
race it, don't rice it!
A persons credibility and reputation is affected first, by their own actions. Not by the words of others.
I this were true than rumors wouldn't exist. Remember the witches? Since the 1930s has also been in use as a metaphor to refer to moral panics in general (frantic persecution of perceived enemies). Multiple psychological studies have shown a clear trend that the aggressor is more often trusted over the defendant even when no evidence is present.